Meredith Kercher 'in money row with Foxy Knoxy' on the night she was killed

Meredith Kercher had a heated row with flatmate Amanda Knox minutes
before she was found stabbed to death, a court heard yesterday.

Rudy Guede, who is serving 30 years for Meredith's murder, claimed he had heard the girls arguing over money.

Moments later he found 21-year-old Meredith dying from horrific stab wounds, he told the court.

Rudy Guede, of the Ivory Coast, is escorted by penitentiary police officers as he arrives at the opening of his appeal's trial in a Perugia

It was the first time the 22-year-old drifter, who was convicted
of killing Meredith last year, had publicly given his version of events
the night she died.

Appealing against his murder conviction, he told the court he
had met Meredith, a Leeds University student, at a Halloween party in
Perugia, Italy, in October2007.

He said the next day he had gone to the house she shared with
Knox. They had talked and kissed but decided not to have sex, he said.

Guede said Meredith had complained of money going missing and blamed Knox.

He said she told him: 'My money, my money. I can't stand her.'
He went on: 'Meredith was complaining about Amanda's habits and the way
she brought men back.'

Guede claims that Meredith Kercher
(left) and Amanda Knox were arguing about money just minutes before the
British student was found dead

Guede, originally from the Ivory Coast, told the court he had
gone into the bathroom, heard the doorbell and put on his iPod while
using the lavatory. After a few minutes he had heard shouting.

'I heard the voices of Amanda and Meredith, ' he said. 'They
were discussing the missing money. I heard Meredith say: "We need to
talk". Then I heard a loud scream. It was above the volume of the
music.

'I came out and went into Meredith's bedroom and I saw a male
silhouette. I saw Meredith on the floor and this person tried to hit
me. I fell over and this person ran out and I heard them say "Let's go,
there's a negro here".

'I went into the corridor and looking out of the window saw going away the outline of Amanda Knox.'

He said he was so frightened he then left the house without contacting anybody.

He was arrested in Germany two weeks later.

Knox's boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito is also a murder suspect

His appeal comes two days before the resumption tomorrow of the
trial of American student Knox, 22, and her former boyfriend, Italian
Raffaele Sollecito, 25, who are also charged with Meredith's murder.

Guede's 2008 trial was held behind closed doors, at his
request and in line with Italian law, so his version of events has
never before been made public.

Pietro Catalani, prosecuting, told the court that Guede's account was 'worthy of a fairytale.'

'We are expected to believe he flirted with Meredith then all
this happens in the space of few minutes while he is in the bathroom?'
he asked the court in Perugia.

He said traces of Guede's DNA had been found in the house and
on Meredith's body.

'The evidence points to more than one person being
involved and besides Guede that is Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito,'
he said.

The judge adjourned the appeal case until December 21 but a verdict is not expected until next year.